Sighting apparatus for guns.



. E. SCHNEIDER.

SIGHTING APPARATUS FOR GUNS. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 22, 1907.

952, 36 3 I Patented ,Mar. 15, 1910.

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APPLICATION TILED OCT. 22, 1907.

952,363, Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

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SIGHTING APPARATUS FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, 1907.

952,3 3, Patented Mar.15,1910.

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SIGHTING APPARATUS FOR GUNS.

APPLIUATION FILED 001 22, 1907.

952,363. Patented Mar. 15,1910.

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EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF LE CREUZOT, FRANCE.

SIGHTING APPARATUS FOR GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

Application filed October 22, 1907. Serial No. 398,555.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, citizen of the Republic of France,residing at Le Greuzot, Saone-et-Loire, France, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Sighting Apparatus for Guns, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Ordinary sighting apparatus'composed of a back sight and a front sightattain considerable dimensions when fitted to guns firing at very largeangles. They are not readily adapted to the reception of the number ofgraduations necessitated by the different charges employed withhowitzers and mortars.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device whichperforms all the operations of the ordinary sighting apparatus butrequires fewer parts and is more compact.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the mechanism mounted on the trunnion ofa gun; Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan; Fig. 3 is an elevation partly insection on the line B-B' of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation onthe line A-A of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a section on the line G-C of Fig. 2;and Fig. 6 is a section on the line D-D of Fig. 5.

The device comprises the following principal parts: A goniometer a, ofknown arrangement, with reticulated lens or collimator 11; a goniometersupport I) carrying the mechanism for the correction for the angle ofsite described hereinafter; this support Z2 is characterized by havingat one side a huh I) revoluble on an axle Z parallel with the trunnionsof the cannon and being provided with a toothed sector controlled by agraduated drum serving to give angles of fire; the same support on theopposite side has a socket 5 receiving a sleeve, 9 provided with a levelcarrier p and a toothed rack a controlled by a graduated drum Q) servingto efiect corrections for angles of site. A frame 0 carrying thebefore-mentioned parts is provided with mechanism permitting the givingof angles of elevation corresponding to the ranges that it is desired toattain.

The frame 0 is articulated upon the gun carriage by means of two lugsd,e and of a shaft f arranged parallel with the axis of the gun. Themechanism carried by this frame is of such construction that, by turningthe milled knob g with its square shaft 71. (Fig. 4 a rotary movement isimparted to a sleeve 2' and the endless screw 7' actuated. This endlessscrew, by acting upon a sector A: with helicoidal teeth, causes thesupport Z) of the goniometer a to turn angular-1y so as to give it,relatively to the shaft f, or to the axis of the gun with which thisshaft is parallel, an inclination corresponding to the angle ofelevation. This angle is obtained when the graduation which. correspondsto it, and which is marked upon the drum 10, coincides with a guide markZ engraved upon the cylinder m of the frame 0.

The drum 10, which is detachable, is mounted upon the hub-nut 0 of themilled knob 9 (Fig. 4:). This hub-nut 0 is in engagement with a fixedscrew threaded sleeve 72. which causes it to effect a longitudinalmovement in combination with its movement of rotation; it follows thatthe entire graduation of the drum 10, which occupies a helix parallelwith the screw a, passes in front of the guide mark Z.

As stated above, the sector 70 turns angularly the support I) of thegoniometer which causes the participation in its movement of a spiritlevel p with its controlling mechanism. This mechanism, which is similarto the mechanism for controlling the support of the goniometer, isoperated by means of a milled knob g, which, by the intermediary of asquare shaft 1' (Fig. 3) and of a sleeve 8, actuates an endless screw tand effects the turning of the sector a which is in operative connectionwith the level 39 (Figs. 1,3 and 5).

The milled knob g carries a hub-nut o in engagement with the fixed screw:20,- the nut is displaced upon the screw w in imparting to the milledknob'a movement of translation which combines with its movement ofrotation. The result of this arrangement is that a graduation, intendedfor correcting for angles of site, and which is engraved in a helix uponthe hub o of the milled knob 9, passes in front of a guide mark 3 (Figs.1 and 2) engraved upon the cylinder inclosing the mechanism. 7

From what has been stated it will be understood that in order to givethe elevation it is only necessary to act upon the milled knob g untilthe corresponding graduation carried by the drum 10 coincides with theguide mark Z. The object may then be sighted directly by means of thecollimator 11 or of the reticulated lens. If there is a correction to bemade corresponding to the site (or altitude of the ground), the milledknob g is acted upon until the corresponding graduation carried by thehub 01 coincides with the guide mark g on the cylindrical casing e. Theangle of elevation may then be obtained by bringing the bubble of thespirit level between its guide marks by means of the aiming mechanism ofthe gun carriage. The direction is then given to the gun by means of thelens or of the collimator 11; with this object these parts may rotate inthe known manner upon the goniometer in such a way that their opticalaxis may be brought in the known manner on a level with the object.

The graduated drum 10 is rendered detachable so that it may be readilyreplaced by another drum when the charge is changed in firing mortars orhowitzers.

In addition to the arrangements which have been described, the sightingmechanism is furnishedwith a device for the correction for theinclination of the trunnions, which permits of bringing the axis of thegoniometer into a vertical plane by causing the entire apparatus torotate about the shaft f parallel with the axis of the gun. This devicecomprises :a screw threaded rod Z mounted 011 the axis of rotation ofthe support 6 of the goniometer and of the level 79; a nut 2 withjournals; two bearings 3 and 4 for the journals; two forks 5 and 6 forthe bearings, cast with the part 7 which serves for the attachment ofthe sighting mechanism to the gun carriage; a spirit level S) fitted tothe support for the goniometer; a milled knob 8. It will be readilyunderstood that by means of this device, by acting upon the milled knob8 so as to dis place the screw threaded rod Z in its nut 2 and cause thesighting mechanism to turn upon the shaft f, the bubble of the spiritlevel can be placed between the guide marks and the sighting mechanismerected.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In sighting apparatus for guns, a shaft and meansfor supporting the same adapted to participate in the movements of thetrunnions of the gun, a sighting device support and means for applyingcorrections for angles of site both revolubly mounted on said shaft, ascrew-threaded member fast to said shaft supporting means, ahand-operated revoluble drum longitudinally displaceable on said screwand provided with helicoidal range graduations, means operated by therotation of said drum for simultaneously rotating said devices on saidshaft and means for rotating one device relative to the other.

2. In sighting apparatus for guns, a shaft and means for supporting thesame adapted to participate in the movements of the gun trunnions, asighting device support and a device for applying corrections for anglesof site both revolubly mounted on said shaft, a screw-threaded memberfast to the shaft support, a hand-operated nut engaging said member andprovided with a drum having h-elicoidal range graduations, a toothedsector fast to said sighting device support, an endless screw actuatedby said nut and engaging said sector for simultaneously rotating saiddevices and means for rotating one device relatively to the other.

Sighting apparatus for guns in which the support for the sightingapparatus is adapted to turn about an axle parallel to the guntrunnions, comprising an axle adapted to be supported parallel with thegun trunnions, a sight-supporting column having on one side a socket andon the other a hub extension revoluble on said axle, a sector fast tosaid hub and having helicoidal teeth, a drum provided with a helicoidalgraduation for giving angles of fire and controlling the rotation ofsaid sector, a level supporting sleeve engaging said socket, a sectorfast to said sleeve having helicoidal teeth, and a drum having ahelicoidal graduation for giving angles of site and controlling therotation of said sleeve independently of the movement imparted theretoby rotation of the sight-supporting device.

a. In sighting apparatus for guns, a shaft, a support for the sameparticipating in the movements of the trunnions, a sighting devicesupport and a device for correcting for angles of site both mounted torevolve on said shaft, a screw-threaded hollow member fast to saidsupport, a hand-operated nut having engagement with said member andprovided with a removable drum for receiving helicoidal rangegraduations, and a drive shaft movable with said nut and within saidhollow member, and means engaging said drive shaft to turn said sightingdevice support.

5. In sighting apparatus for guns, a shaft, a revoluble frame supportingthe same and adapted to swing on an axis parallel to the axis of thegun, and participate in the movements of the gun trunnions, a sightingdevice support and means for applying cor rections for angles of siteboth revolubly mounted on said shaft, a screw-threaded member fast tosaid supporting frame, a said shaft to rotate said shaft supportinghand-operated revoluble drum longitudiframe. 10 nally displaceable onsaid screw and adapt- In testimony whereof I have affixed my ed to carryhelicoidal range graduations, signature in presence of two Witnesses.

means operated by the rotation of said drum EUGENE SCHNEIDER.

for simultaneously rotating said devices on Witnesses:

said shaft, means for rotating one device DEAN B. MASON,

relative to the other, and means engaging N. DE LAGRANGE.

